Who Should Pay For Plan B After Unprotected Sex — The Man Or The Woman?

Last week we reported on how many times a woman should take Plan B; today we’re discussing how many times she should pay for it. Or better yet, should a man pay for the morning-after pill for a woman after they’ve had unprotected sex or when the condom breaks?

According to XO Jane writer Sarah Sahagian, they should, and if they don’t, dump ‘em!

In her think piece, “Why You Should Dump Any Guy Who Won’t Pay For Your Plan- B,” Sarah claims that if a man you’re dating doesn’t pay or even offer to pay for the pill, he is and will never be the man for you. “Why is it so important a guy pony up the cash for your Plan B needs? Well, emergency contraception, while sometimes necessary, can be unpleasant to take (although likely less unpleasant than an unwanted pregnancy would be). It causes cramping and breakthrough bleeding, and, in many of my friends’ experiences, it can mess up your menstrual cycle for months. If you have to go through all that physical suffering just to avoid a pregnancy neither of you desire, the least a guy can do is shell out the $10 to $70 it takes to buy the pill, depending on where you are,” she writes.

Sarah based this belief on a relationship she had during her mid-twenties when her significant other of five months traveled with her to the pharmacy, but instead of reviewing the different types of Plan B options, he wandered around the store, shopping for granola bars. “I guess he figured he might as well kill two birds with one shopping trip? Why not load up on groceries for next week while I was busy preventing the birth of his firstborn child,” Sarah said of his behavior.

As she recounted many other events that lead to the demise of their relationship, Sarah shared that the experience in the pharmacy that day taught her to do one thing: create the “Plan B Relationship Test.”

“So, here’s how it works: If, for some reason, despite all your best-laid plans, it becomes necessary for you to swallow some emergency contraception, dump the dude if he won’t pay. It’s that simple. Now, I’m not saying you have to let him pay. If you don’t feel comfortable with that, for whatever reason, it’s totally cool. But he should at least give you the option of letting him pay,” Sarah advised in her piece. “In 2016, if a man offers to buy the Plan B pill, that’s how you know he’s a freaking gentleman…hey, if there’s sperm on the loose in my uterus, I’d like a cash contribution to aid in the war against it.”

While some commenters understood Sarah’s point of view, others deemed it unconventional and a bit crazy, arguing if you’re participating in risky sex, you should be accountable for your own reproductive health — not to mention be more mindful of engaging in such behavior. For those who believed a man should be financially responsible, they said that’s only the case if you’re in an exclusive relationship. Overall, the idea of resting the future of an entire relationship on a pill purchase seems a bit much. While it may say something about a man that he wouldn’t offer to purchase Plan B, if he does, is that a good enough reason to stay in a relationship with him? Further, is Sarah’s “Plan B Relationship Test” a bit ridiculous?

When it comes to matters of the heart and uterus, what’s more, important to you?